Agenda item

This briefing report updates the Panel on development of the draft Advice & Information Strategy 2014-17 and of the programme of consultation currently being undertaken with stakeholders. The report also represents an opportunity for officers to consult with members of the Panel on the draft Strategy.

The Health & Wellbeing Panel is asked to:

1)  Note the contents of the briefing.

2)  Consider the draft Strategy and provide feedback, particularly addressing the following questions, which are in line with those posed in the public consultation:

·  Is the document of a good standard; is it clear and easily understood?

·  Are there any factual inaccuracies that need to be addressed?

·  Do the contents accurately reflect the Council’s intentions and the resources it has available for delivery of advice & information services?

·  Is the proposed model for delivering advice in the future appropriate and reasonable?

The Chairman invited Jane Shayler and Ann Robins (Planning and Partnership/Supporting People Manager) to introduce the report.

Jane Shayler commented that she was aware that the Panel had received a copy of a correspondence between the Citizen Advice Bureau (CAB) B&NES and the Leader of B&NES Council.  Jane Shayler said that she was not in position to make a reference on this paper but her understanding was that the CAB B&NES would meet with Councillor Paul Crossley and Councillor Simon Allen on Monday 20^th January in order to discuss next steps. 

Jane Shayler also said that it was likely, subject to the Full Council Budget meeting in February, that the savings target against Advice and Information Services, funded from the Supporting People and Communities, would be reduced from £225k to a target saving of £118k.

The Panel made the following points:

The Chairman said that the report provoked a series of questions.  In his view, one of the major failings was that it failed to match the demand with the available resources.  The Chairman also said that, in his view, officers had been asked to make a strategy in a very constrained timescale.  The Council had been operating for years without the strategy and now officers were given only ten days to formulate the strategy before going out for consultation.  The Chairman felt that the timescale for the strategy was not realistic.

Councillor Brett welcomed the strategy and said that she wished the Council had had the strategy years ago and that the Panel should have had the strategy on the agenda some time ago before the proposed budget savings were published.

Councillor Organ said that he supported the work of the CAB B&NES.  The general public look on the CAB as an independent adviser.  Councillor Organ welcomed that the CAB B&NES would meet with Councillor Paul Crossley and Councillor Simon Allen on Monday 20th January in order to discuss next steps.

The Vice Chair reminded the Panel that they were asked to look at the draft strategy and not on the issue of the CAB B&NES.  The Vice Chair congratulated the officers on the report and welcomed an initiative from the Council to have the strategy.

Councillor Tony Clarke also congratulated the officers on the report.  Councillor Clarke felt that the officers had had enough time to put the strategy together.  Councillor Clarke felt that there was a reliance on internet, which not necessarily could be valuable or safe, and also that there were a lot of people who wanted to complain, or get an advice, but would not want to do that via Council.

The Vice Chair commented that the Panel should not be seeking to influence the discussion between the CAB B&NES and Councillors Crossley and Allen on Monday 20th January.

It was RESOLVED to note the content of the draft Advice and Information Strategy.  The Panel were conscious that there was a need for a considerable amount of work done to make this Strategy a working document, in particular with matching appropriately the demand of available resources.

The Panel CONFIRMED that they received a confidential document from the Citizen Advice Bureau B&NES, letter sent to the Leader of the Council, and RESOLVED not to respond to, or comment on, for the benefit of the discussion between the Citizen Advice Bureau B&NES and Councillors Crossley and Allen on Monday 20th January.